Researchers from Monash University Describe Findings in Risk Management (Odds of culpability associated with use of impairing drugs in injured drivers in Victoria, Australia)

2019 DEC 25 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Risk Management. According to news reporting originating in Victoria, Australia, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Culpability analysis was conducted on 5000 drivers injured as a result of a vehicular collision and in whom comprehensive toxicology testing in blood was conducted. The sample included 1000 drivers for each of 5 years from approximately 5000-6000 drivers injured and taken to hospital in the State of Victoria.”

Financial supporters for this research include Department of Justice, VicRoads, the Transport Accident Scheme, Victoria Police that formed the Road Safety Executive.

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Monash University, “Logistic regression was used to investigate differences in the odds of culpability associated with alcohol and drug use and other selected crash attributes using the drug-free driver as the reference group. Adjusted odds ratios were obtained from multivariable logistic regression models in which other potentially explanatory driver and crash attributes were included. Drivers with alcohol present showed large increases in the odds of culpability similar to that seen in other studies investigating associations between blood alcohol concentration and crash risk. Methylamphetamine also showed a large increase in the odds of culpability (OR 19) compared to the reference group at both below and above 0.1 mg/L, whereas those drivers with D-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) present showed only modest increase in odds when all concentrations were assessed (OR 1.9, 95 %CI 1.2-3.1). Benzodiazepines in drivers also gave an increase in odds (3.2, 95 %CI 1.6-6.1), but not other medicinal drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics and opioids.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Drivers that had combinations of impairing drugs generally gave a large increase in odds, particularly combinations of alcohol with THC or benzodiazepines, and those drivers using both THC and methamphetamine.”

For more information on this research see: Odds of culpability associated with use of impairing drugs in injured drivers in Victoria, Australia. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2019;135():105389. Accident Analysis & Prevention can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science LTD, the Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Accident Analysis & Prevention - http://www.journals.elsevier.com/accident-analysis-and-prevention/)

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting O.H. Drummer, Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Dept. of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 65 Kavanagh Street, Southbank 3006, Victoria, Australia. Additional authors for this research include D. Gerostamoulos, M. Di Rago, N.W. Woodford, C. Morris, T. Frederiksen, K. Jachno and R. Wolfe.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2019.105389. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

The publisher of the journal Accident Analysis & Prevention can be contacted at: Pergamon-Elsevier Science LTD, the Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford OX5 1GB, England.

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